Defense department censures West Point Superintendent Huntoon

Tuesday

Apr 9, 2013 at 2:00 AM

WEST POINT — West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Huntoon was censured following a Pentagon inspector general's investigation into an allegation of misconduct and will retire this summer, according to several sources.

BY MICHAEL RANDALL

WEST POINT — West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. David Huntoon was censured following a Pentagon inspector general's investigation into an allegation of misconduct and will retire this summer, according to several sources.

The nature of the allegation related to "an improper relationship." An Army spokesman confirmed that had been the focus of the Pentagon inspector general's investigation. The inspector general's spokeswoman confirmed an investigation had taken place but refused to say what allegation was investigated. She did say Huntoon was censured as a result of the investigation. The censure was revealed Friday in an article in the Washington Post. The paper based its story, in part, on documents obtained through the federal Freedom of Information Act.

There was little agreement otherwise between the Army and the Pentagon inspector general.

"Lt. Gen. David Huntoon plans to retire this summer after 40 years of honorable and distinguished service," read Army spokesman George Wright's statement. "In 2012 the Department of Defense inspector general investigated an allegation of an improper relationship and found it to be not substantiated. He has no pending disciplinary action against him."

Bridget Serchak, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon inspector general, countered the investigation did indeed substantiate at least one allegation against Huntoon. She said further details could be released only in response to a freedom of information request.

Wright, whom the Record contacted by e-mail, repeated his statement and added he couldn't comment on "reported documents the Post may have" obtained from the Pentagon's inspector general.

"I haven't seen them, and I don't know what they say," Wright wrote.

The inspector general's investigation took place about a year ago.

As of Monday, there was no comment from Huntoon on the matter, according to West Point's public affairs office.

Huntoon became superintendent of West Point in the summer of 2010, after having served two years as director of U.S. Army staff at the Pentagon. He is a member of the West Point Class of 1973.

Huntoon is married and the father of four children, including three who have served in the military and one of whom graduated from West Point. He is the 58th superintendent in the 211-year-old military academy's history.

The Post story included two other generals who have been disciplined recently besides Huntoon. Army Maj. Gen. Ralph Baker, the commander of a strategic counterterrorism force on the Horn of Africa, was fired March 28 on charges of sexual misconduct, the Post said.

The inspector general also upheld misconduct allegations against Joseph F. Fil Jr., a former commander in South Korea and Iraq. That action also was taken last year, the Post reported.

The list of disciplined top officers also includes Gen. David Petraeus, a Cornwall native who led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He resigned his post as director of the CIA after admitting in 2011 to an extramarital affair.